Cosi Dentro Come Fuori by Porta d’Oro

Post punk succeeds so easily on the dance floor thanks to its steady, hypnotic feel, a characterization that allows Porta d’Oro to unlock the genre’s meditative potential on Cosi Dentro Come Fuori. Deliberately pulling back on the reins before the music spirals into overindulgence, these tracks prioritize acceptance and contentment ahead of jubilation, staying firmly rooted on the ground with positive melodies that remain spindly and narrow instead of escalating to an extravagant height. Instead of employing a drum machine or other looping production, this album features live-recorded rhythm sections that maintain an organic atmosphere while still keeping us immersed in a meditative cycle. As a result, these meditations feel present and relevant, appropriate for all moods and phases of life and deeply sympathetic to our own attempts at achieving inner peace. Simultaneously, these sounds resonate with the overwhelming darkness that defines contemporary aesthetics, creating the rare meditation piece with full awareness of the obstacles we face on the road to acceptance.